Dear Douglas County
Democrats and Friends, By now you should have received your ballot for the PRIMARY ELECTION. We have until August 7th to complete and return our ballots. Lots of people have stopped by or called the Democratic HQ office in the past few days, asking questions about the choices on their ballots. Listed below are some recommendations from other Washington Democratic organizations (Yakima and 14 LD folks—thank you!), and the positions of other organizations with whom Democrats are often aligned. The website for the Washington State Democrats also lists endorsed candidates for this election.
Your PRIMARY vote is important for many reasons. Here are just a few: · Washington is a “top 2” primary state. A low local (or statewide) voter turnout for a party or candidate can remove them from the general election ballot: only the top 2 vote-getting candidates go on to be on the GENERAL ELECTION ballot. Your vote matters! · There are contested primaries between Democrats. For example, your vote will determine who goes on to the general election for Secretary of State and State Auditor. · In judicial races, the PRIMARY can be the final election. For example, in Justice Gonzalez's race, there are only 2 candidates. The candidate who receives more than 50% of the vote in the PRIMARY will be elected to the Supreme Court.
Endorsements. The Washington State Democrats have endorsed:
National Barack Obama –President (will only appear on the GENERAL ELECTION ballot) Maria Cantwell - US Senator
Statewide Jay Inslee - Governor Brad Owen - Lt. Governor Bob Ferguson - Attorney General Jim McIntyre - Treasurer Mike Kreidler - Insurance Commissioner Peter Goldmark - Lands Commissioner
Consider reviewing endorsements and recommendations from: Washington State Democrats Network,
Additionally, the Washington State Democratic Party and · the 4th Congressional District Democrats have endorsed Mary Baechler for Congress, · the 8th Congressional District Democrats have endorsed Karen Porterfield for Congress.
Other important contested races: (Click on the name of a candidate to go to his/her website.)
Secretary of State: Kathleen Drew, Greg Nickels and Jim Kastama are Democrats running for the office. Kathleen Drew was nominated by the Washington State Democratic Party in June of 2012, endorsed by Governor Chris Gregoire, and is a former State Representative. Greg Nickels is the former mayor of Seattle. Jim Kastama is a State Senator.
State Auditor: Craig Pridemore, Mark Miloscia, and Troy Kelley are Democrats running for State Auditor. Craig is a former State Senator and was nominated by the State Party in June of 2012. Both Miloscia and Kelley are State Representatives.
Supreme Court Races:
Justice Steven Gonzalez (incumbent) has drawn a little known opponent, Bruce Danielson, in his race. Despite Justice Gonzalez being highly qualified and having the endorsement of both Jay Inslee and Rob McKenna, there is concern that due to low voter turnout and possible voter racism that he might lose his spot on the high court. Here is an article from The Stranger Weekly in Seattle on the subject.
Justice Susan Owens (incumbent) is also facing a lesser-known opponent.
In the final Supreme Court position, there is a four-way race between Sheryl McCloud, Bruce Hilyer, John Lautenberg, and Richard Sanders. To date, no formal endorsements have been made by the Washington State Democrats. You may find helpful guidance in this race by referring to the endorsements in the links below, and from a recent Seattle Times article.
Other organizations that have endorsed candidates or provided information in this election: WashingtonState Labor Council, IBEW Teamsters Joint Council No 28, Washington Education Association PAC, American Federation of Teachers – Washington PAC, Washington State Nurses Association PAC, VotingForJudges.org—a Washington State non-partisan judicial resource
You may begin to receive “remember to vote” telephone calls from various campaigns. Once your ballot is completed and returned, those calls should soon stop. Please remember to mail in or drop off your ballot by August 7th! If you have questions, feel free to stop by our Democratic Headquarters Office at One South Wenatchee Avenue, email NCWDems@gmail.com, or call (509) 664-6621.
Karen Keleman, Chair Douglas County Democrats |
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